Live-Blogging The VP Debate Tonight
by Matt Margolis on October 2nd, 2008 at 08:59pm
Tonight, I’ll be live-blogging the Vice-Presidential Debate over at VoteBitter.com.
VoteBitter.com has a nifty shirt for sale from their website:
Click here to get your shirt!
Click here to check out the liveblogging of the VP debate at 9 PM Eastern.
UPDATE: Links of note:
McCain: Palin will “deliver some news” tonight
RNC shatters monthly fundraising record
Fox reporting on OH voting irregularities
Is Palin Behind McCain’s Poll Drop?
Click here to view the live blogging!
Feel free to post your comments about the debate here.
UPDATE: Make no mistake about it, Sarah Palin is winning this debate.
UPDATE: Debate over. No doubt… Sarah Palin rocked tonight.
DONATE. DONATE. DONATE. DONATE. DONATE. DONATE.
UPDATE: Frank Luntz’s focus group gives incredibly high marks for Palin. Undecided voters swayed towards McCain… Palin won debate:
“I think she just spoke to the people, the American people. She was direct.”
UPDATE: Sarah Palin came into the debate, with everyone expecting her to fumble. Instead, she caught the Hail Mary pass.
UPDATE: Peggy Noonan says “she killed.”
Click here to create an account on Blogs For Victory and post comments!
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier if the t-shirt simply said the following:
“Proud to be a stereotypical, redneck, idiot American!”
It basically means the same thing.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Palin “was” great she took Biden to the cleaners!
Thought I’d get the jump on comedian Rush Limbaugh and baby Jesus Hannity.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Classic. This is why I visit B4V everyday. You guys are great. All this and a dish rag too!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 pm
wel
All this and a HAIR PLUG too!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Sounds like she is campaigning to be Secretary of Energy. I think Obama would consider her.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
They are both sticking to their talking points, but Sarah is definitely doing just fine.
Meanwhile I see liberals posting how the debates was…. before the debate.
Eat shit and die.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
We can now declare Palin the winner; she pronounced Ahmadinejad correctly not once but three times.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 pm
One folksy zinger after another she’s on a roll.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Who would have thought it would be the Democrat to bring up 911 first?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Bozniacs???
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Biden thought he really had her when he spoke about the Commanding General in Afganistan. Sarah really set him straight on that. He was speechless.
There you go Joe!!!! Lookin’ back again…
great retort.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Biden is clearly looking backwards and coming off very partisan. Is that change?
Palin is doing very well.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
16. neocon | October 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm
There you go again neocon!
But she agreed with Dick Cheney; never a good thing no matter what the issue.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Palin held her own.
And now back to the economy . . .
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 pm
The normally affable Joe Biden came off as mean. While there were no big gaffes, he struggled. Palin was smooth, positive and funny, she clearly exceeded expectations and in my opinion won the debate.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Took until the end of the debate for her to squeeze in a Reagan reference.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Palin pounded home the need for energy independence and Biden hardly even addressed it.
Palin spoke of winning the war and Biden only spoke of ending the war.
Palin spoke of having no health insurance as a family, Biden only spoke of others.
Palin won and Biden can only speak of winning.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Great debate on both sides. Palin looked very good. It had to help her after the interviews. Biden did a great job of going after McCain rather than her.
A week go I thought McCain won a close one. This week I feel Biden won. Mainly because of his attacks on McCain which she couldn’t answer. He looked very good.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!!!
AND THE WINNER IS?
SARAH PALIN!!
BEAUTIFUL JOB, GOV. PALIN!!! ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!
Don’t pay any attention to Joe Biden he connects with Washington!!
You, Gov. Palin connect with THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!! May God richly bless you and Sen. McCain!! MY, How blessed we are to have you two fine folks as our possible Leaders!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Oh well back to the Presidential campaign and the economy.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Palin energized the base, but she didn’t help McCain. She blew it when she said she agreed with Cheney’s power grab. That’s going to hurt big time. Biden did a great job of making it all about McCain and Bush.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 pm
“Proud to be a stereotypical, redneck, idiot American!”
Me too.
There are more of us than there are of you Johnathan.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
In her own words she would be just like Dick Cheney. God help us.
And she was not able to explain how McCain is different than Bush.
She tried to perpetuate the falsehood about McCain calling him Maverick. At least that would change one thing. We wouldn’t have a president nicknamed “Turdblossom”
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
If you didn’t have any expectations coming into the night there is no doubt Biden won. But since Palin didn’t start crying and run off the stage she is going to be given the slight edge. I think she helped herself tonight be not making any major mistakes.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
she missed a huge punch…because biden is talking about all these things that are going to happen…but the guys been in the senate for over a generation…and still making promises about the same things like health care…but never gets anything done…
is that the secret to becoming a senator? just promise you will fix the problem…nothing matters after the election is over…right? I should run!! oh…never mind…its the same thing as lying…i cant do that…
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
>>>But she agreed with Dick Cheney; never a good thing no matter what the issue.>>>
Sheesh…you people really need to get out more often, just put your signs down, unhug that tree, or whale or whatever it is you hug, the world is really a nice place.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
>>>If you didn’t have any expectations coming into the night there is no doubt Biden won. But since Palin didn’t start crying and run off the stage she is going to be given the slight edge. I think she helped herself tonight be not making any major mistakes.>>>
Of course you being unbiased would day that, the fact is she held up to Biden and went on the attack as well.
Now it’s McCains till the end.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Biden quote: “I am not going to change”
That’s what we can expect from an Obama admin. More partisan politics and more Washington lectures.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Joe,
Must be awful to have that albatross around your neck. But yet you persist.
I heard a big thump as Bush was thrown over by many of his supporters on this web site.
Why hold on to the Shooter?
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Palin will be a force in National politics. This debate showed that. She did not help McCain tonight.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:26 pm
From McCain a couple of hours apart
“………the fundamentals are strong”
“………the economy is in a crisis…..”
Change? That’s not change, that’s more of the Zig Zag Express. If John McCain was driving he would be arrested for being under the influence.
Or perhaps that’s the true McCain- ruderless.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:35 pm
darn…there go the mental midgets….mom and dad must a’ crashed….letting the developmentally challenged to play on the internet again…
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:47 pm
My vote for the best Biden gaffe is when he said that Sen McCain did not vote for funding for the troops because it contained a timeline. Biden was actually defending McCain’s vote, but he talks so much he didn’t realize it.
In the end, Sen McCain did vote for the funding when it passed, and Sen Obama voted against the funding.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 pm
A week go I thought McCain won a close one. This week I feel Biden won. Mainly because of his attacks on McCain which she couldn’t answer. He looked very good.
Casper, I’m gonna surprise you and agree with you, at least to the extent that Biden answered the questions more completely. If you simply followed the debate via a transcript and not live, I don’t think there’s any question that Biden won on points. OTOH, as we were watching, I kept saying to my wife, I don’t think what Biden just said rings true. Sure enough, after the debate one of the people interviewed on Fox was Fred Thompson, who served with Biden in the Senate for 8 years and had first-hand knowledge of many of the claims Biden made. He commented to Chris Wallace that Biden had been factually inaccurate. Wallace asked him if he could cite a couple examples, and Thompson said, “I can do a lot better than that,” and proceeded to rattle off a half dozen times where Biden was factually inaccurate (lied). In this kind of debate format, it’s pretty easy to score points when you have disregard for the truth. But then, that’s what Joe Biden has done throughout his entire career, and I have to admit, he’s very good at it. But that just simply makes him part of the problem, not part of the solution. The solution is to get rid of people like him, not elevate them to a higher office.
Sarah Palin proved tonight, on the national stage, the same thing she’s proved as a City Council Woman, Chairman of the Oil & Gas Commission, Mayor and Governor: that she’s a quick study. Where she shined was, not so much in the way she did or didn’t answer the questions, but in the way she connected with the concerns of average people. To use Senator Biden’s own words, “God love ‘im”, he just doesn’t connect with people like me, and neither does his running mate.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 am
I have to say, I liked Sarah Palin better than Joe Biden. I already knew I would trust McCain over Obama. I suspected that Gov Palin would show that just because she does not have an Ivy League education did not mean she was not smart. She has such poise and confidence, and I would not be surprised if she got elected President one day.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 am
From McCain a couple of hours apart
“………the fundamentals are strong”
“………the economy is in a crisis…..”
Cam, taken out of context, and obviously not talking about the same thing, but of course you know that. The fundamentals of our economy include more than the health of our financial sector. It includes things like our science, research, medical and manufacturing capabilities, and the best, most innovative, most productive workforce in the world. Surely you would agree with McCain that the financial services sector of our economy is in somewhat of a crisis. But, you know what, you can still go down to your local bank or credit union and borrow money according to common sense rules of sound lending practices.
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 am
>>>Joe,
Must be awful to have that albatross around your neck. But yet you persist.>>>
What albatross? oh you mean the one I just shot defeathered, gutted, cooked and ate?
Yeah, ain’t no more bother….
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:25 am
{{{{DRUDGE POLL}}}} WHO WON THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE?…
BIDEN 30% 80,308
PALIN 69% 185,260
NEITHER 2% 4,521
Total Votes: 270,089
good, sizeable sample
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 am
I’m re-energized! I have been down here lately but after seeing Sarah last night I am going to donate some more money. She was incredible and needs to be out there more. No matter what the outcome in Nov. I am going to be proud to vote for McCain/Palin. I will not let the MSM get me down with phony polls anymore.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
“A week go I thought McCain won a close one. This week I feel Biden won. Mainly because of his attacks on McCain which she couldn’t answer. He looked very good.” Casper
His attacks on McCain which she couldn’t answer? Are you referring to one of his 14 lies in particular or all 14 collectively? Casper, have some more Kool-Aid.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 am
Don’t be fooled by any polls that come out today saying Biden won, he did not. These polls by the MSM will be heavily weighted with dems and are designed to break the spirit of the Republican base. It happened in 2004 also, as I remember there was no way Bush could win and we all know how that turned out.
Stay Strong!
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
“His attacks on McCain which she couldn’t answer? Are you referring to one of his 14 lies in particular or all 14 collectively?”
As opposed to Palin’s 18 lies?
http://www.americablog.com/2008/10/sarah-palins-18-lies-tonight.html
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
Kmg-
Well I have to say that link you gave went to a site that was very unbiased. LMAO!
I think I have to take a shower after looking at that garbage.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
What was up with Bidens face? It looked like it had been stretched back with a winch.
LOL
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:59 am
Surprise Surprise, the network of the disgraced Dan Rather says Biden won. Also CNN, Anyone surprised?
Not me.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 am
The Democrats constantly harp about Republicans being the party of deregulation. They try implicate the Republicans with existence of the current financial problems as a result of their push for deregulation. McCain and Palin need to emphasis the difference between what they push to deregulate and what they push for MORE regulation on.
McCain needs to show how difficult it is for many to do business in the US with mounds and mounds of regulation. Add to that fact that the US has one of the highest business taxes in the world and then the average person can clearly see why we have an exodus of business and jobs. By taking away some of the overly burdensome or antiquated regulation and reducing business taxes we encourage both business and all of their jobs currently leaving our shores to stay in the US. Why stay here when it’s far easier to do business elsewhere. Deregulation has a great importance when applied to the right places.
On the other hand they also need to emphasize those places that they have in fact been calling for more regulation / control / oversight such as with the current financial fiasco. The American people need to hear this often to offset the constant barrage of the Democrats inaccurate implications.
Second, especially given the current difficult financial endeavors everyone faces, I believe one of Obama’s biggest problems is his tax plan. The Democrats flat out lie about who would be affected by Obama’s tax plan and McCain / Palin need to emphasize this. Biden and Obama repeatedly state, only those earning over $250,000 would pay more while everyone else would get a break. It has been shown by independent analysts that Obama’s plan would negatively impact income earners bringing in less than $45,000 a year. It’s would be funny if it weren’t so sad not to mention Obama plans to add over a TRILION DOLLARS of ADDITIONAL spending and he wants the voting public believe they won’t have to carry any of that burden!?!?
Third, the point came up more than once about a bill supporting the troops that both McCain and Obama voted against. The distinction needs to be made as to why. Obama voted against supporting the troops because he wanted the war to end, even if badly for the US and our allies. McCain voted against the same bill but for a totally different reason. As Senator Biden pointed out this bill had a time line attached to it that McCain would not support and saw it for what it was - an attempt by the Democrats to stop the war short of victory. Unlike what Biden maintains, the vote to authorize action in Iraq was indeed a war resolution. Either support it fully or show your true self.
There are many such distortions that need clarification in simple terms so that “talking points” look dumb. President Reagan was great at doing this. His famous line of “there you go again” against Carter every time he tried to give an inaccurate picture of any given policy or agenda. Reagan, in simple layman terms explained why the Democrats talking points were false in both implication and reality. He explained, this is what the Democrats want you to believe and this is the reality of the situation.
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Anybody here join the debate team when they were in high school? Anybody else disappointed at the sad charade that passes for a debate during a presidential election? It really is just theater.
In an actual “Rules of Order” style debate, if your opponent makes a point and then you fail to rebut you lose. Also, when you make a point, you produce references to substantiate your claims.
What these debates say to me is that the parties believe that none of us have the equivalent of a high school education. The whole process is substantially dumbed-down so that neither party need bear the shame of actually losing.
So who won this beauty contest? The government. Who lost? The governed.